Great Spirit
by Tollian
Summary: “There was a lot of death in Metru Nui. I would not be surprised if spirits still roamed that city’s streets.” Superstitious nonsense, I thought. That city is abandoned. End of story . . . I was wrong.


**Author's Notes:** Happy All Hallows Eve! . . . a day late, but it's the thought that counts.  
For those of you who care about such things, this story does have some OCs, but I promise you, you will recognize characters the farther you go into the story!  
Enjoy!

**Disclaimers:** Whenta, Ragnar, Nari, and the protagonist are mine. Please do not use without my permission. The events in this story are completely fictional and made up by me. Any names, places, or things you do recognize belong to LEGO. This was a non-profit venture.

Great Spirit

"Look, look! There it is, right on the horizon. Oh, it's beautiful!"

I squinted hard at the grey horizon where the ashen sky met the dark sea. "You mean that smudge? You sure that it's not just a dark cloud?"

Whenta shook her head at my joking smirk, eyes brighter than the hidden suns. "No, that's Metru Nui. I can feel it." She looked at the distant city, fingers tapping eagerly on the ship's railing.

I smiled at her enthusiasm wishing I could feel the same. Everyone was excited at the prospect of finding the ancient City of Legends, to discover something lost and important. But weeks on the sea with nothing but grey skies and grey green waters wore down everyone's spirits. The wind howled across the small boat's deck, causing the vessel to sway sickeningly almost constantly. We were alone on the waters and time seemed to distort in the loneliness. Any sign of land would have been welcome by that point but looking at the grey line on the horizon, beginning to show the slightest hint of a city sky line, I was beginning to feel a bit of the old excitement return.

"Ragnar, how long 'till we reach the shore?" I asked, turning to where our resident Stone Toa was at the helm.

"Well," he said thoughtfully, adjusting the wheel slightly, "if the wind keeps up, several hours. We might even make it by nightfall if we're lucky."

Whenta was beaming now. "Excellent! I'm going to go prepare."

I went to stand beside Ragnar, smiling at my friend as she lightly skipped down the stairs into the hold. "Like a child on Naming Day," I muttered.

Ragnar chuckled, never taking his eyes off the ghost city head. "Yeah. But you gotta admit, this is pretty cool. I mean, no one's seen this place in centuries. Who knows what we'll find!"

"Not gold or treasure, if that's what your hinting at," I warned with a smile. "Metru Nui was abandoned, remember? But not in a hurry. The only thing of value left will probably be knowledge."

"Ah, but isn't that treasure enough?" asked Nari behind us. Leaning over a small table, she held down an ancient map, careful her blue fingers only touched the edges.

"You know, they say that the Kanohi Vahi is still there," added Ragnar. His tone changed to sound relatively scary. "And that anyone who looks for it disappears!"

"The Mask of Time? Get real," I said. "That thing's more of a myth than the city is."

Nari looked at the compass, wrote something down, and turned to me with a polite smile. "Yet there the city stands. But I agree; I doubt the tales of the curse that surround the Kanohi Vahi."

"My point is this is not a treasure hunt and not a raiding party," I stated firmly. "This is a scientific expedition. Now, I'm going to go below to sleep for a bit. I'm starting to feel sick again. Wake me if anything important happens."

Ragnar laughed as I headed towards the hold. "Mata Nui, I don't think I know anyone who sleeps more than you do."

"At least I stay awake during the Turaga's meetings, unlike _some_ Toa I could name," I called back. Ragnar just shrugged and smiled, knowing exactly who I was talking about. As I started down the stairs, feeling the temperature drop slightly as I entered the shadow of the hall, I could hear my two teammates talking behind me.

"So what _do_ you think we'll find?" came Ragnar's voice.

"I'm not sure. Some ruined buildings, broken machinery, maybe a wild Rahi or two."

"Hey, you okay? You don't look too happy."

" . . . I've got an odd feeling, is all."

"A bad feeling?"

"No, just . . . odd. I don't exactly feel comfortable entering such and old and haunted city."

"Haunted? As in ghosts?"

"There was a lot of death in Metru Nui. The Dark Hunter war, the Kanohi dragon, the Great Disruption, all these events took many Matoran and Toa lives. I would not be surprised if spirits still roamed that city's streets."

"Yeesh, Nari, I think the weather has got you down. Brighten up!"

I stopped listening after that._ Superstitious nonsense,_ I thought, nodding to Whenta as I passed. _That city is abandoned. End of story._

XXXXX

We arrived at the desolate shores of Metru Nui shortly after nightfall. Black water slapped against smooth grey stones. The sound our boat made grinding against the stony shore as it was pulled onto the beach seemed as loud as thunder. As Ragnar started to set up camp just beyond the shore and Whenta began unpacking boxes of stuff I didn't know the names of, Nari and I talked in the silver light of a lightstone.

"According to my calculations, and seeing the remains of the boats in the area, I'm almost positive we're in Ga-Metru." Nari pointed to a faded light blue portion of the ancient map she held. The paper crinkled a bit as she traced a pale line leading to the center of the city. "Whenta says this is one of the major chute lines, or used to be, and it leads directly to the Coliseum."

I shook my head slightly, mind spinning at all the unfamiliar names. The words all seemed to melt together and drain from my mind like slush. "What if the . . . chute is unrecognizable?"

Nari smiled. "Ah, but see, this also—hold the light higher—it also represents one of the major canals. It should be relatively easy to find and follow."

"Nari, I don't know what we'd do without you and your navigation skills."

"Honestly?" Nari asked, carefully rolling up the map. "You'd probably be lost." She carefully tucked the parchment away in a protective casing and cautiously slung it over her shoulder.

"Yep, somewhere near our own backyards, no doubt."

She smiled. "Oh, I don't know if you all are _that_ helpless. Ragnar knows his way around. And you've got a decent sense of direction. So does Whenta, when she bothers to look up from her history books. Anyway, I'm going to go help her unpack. It looks like she might drop that box." Nari then jogged off towards the beach where Whenta was indeed struggling with a rather large crate. The water Toa grabbed the other end and both female Toa staggered over to the camp site. After a moment, I followed, deciding to lend a hand to Ragnar whose hands were currently tied up in a collapsing tent. As I was walking back, I thought I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around, but nothing was there but darkness. My steps quickened slightly.

It was later that night, once the camp was set up and we were all waiting for our soups to cool down, that we had our first glimpse.

We were all laughing at the story Ragnar was telling when the fire we were seated around suddenly froze. The flames ceased their wild dance and all sound stopped, the fire standing like a cardboard prop. Our laughter died as we all stared at the phenomena. Then . . . I don't know what happened. It wasn't the fire exactly, but its color, its vibrancy, and its energy seemed to explode. A feeling like spider webs washed over us and instinctively we lifted our arms to cover our faces and closed our eyes. The sound like a giant wave crashing rang in our ears. When the roar faded away I looked up and gasped.

It was like a different world. Grey and black had turned to azure blue and the dreary whistle of the wind had been replaced with the happy trickle of fountains. Two suns shone brightly in the sky, blinding after the dark of night. The buildings around us were all repaired and filled with people. The voices of birds, Matoran, the creaking of ships, and the constant waves mingling into some strange music filled my ears. Ga Matoran passed me by, laughing and talking, carrying ropes, cargo, and papers. One Ga Matoran put a heavy box down on what looked like a brand new dock, stretched and glanced over to where I sat, stupefied. Our eyes met and she looked as shocked as I felt.

Then the world distorted and the vision was gone, all of it in the blink of an eye. All the color rushed back into the fire, sucking the breaths out of us. When only the crackle of the fire could be heard, the rest of my team looked up. I realized, with a sinking in my stomach, that I was the only one who saw anything.

"Whoa, that was . . .weird," Ragnar said, rubbing his head and blinking a lot. "Anyone else feel that?"

Whenta nodded. Nari was nervously rubbing at a talisman that hung around her neck, shaking her head as if trying to dislodge water.

"Did . . ." I gulped. "Did anyone _see_ anything?"

They all shook their heads.

Whenta leaned forward, concerned eyes meeting mine. "Hey, you okay? You look pale."

"I . . . Yeah, I'm fine. Just some left over sea sickness, I guess." In a way, it was true. The stopping and starting of the fire and change of scenery had set my stomach rolling. That, and I was deeply disturbed by the whole ordeal.

"Maybe you should lie down."

"Yeah, you really do look sick, man," Ragnar added.

I stood and set my bowl of soup on the rock I had been sitting on (I think it had been part of a warehouse at one point), the smell becoming repulsive. "I'm just going to get some fresh air. Take a walk." I fetched a lightstone from one of the packs and turned to my friends with a wavering smile. "I'll be back."

Turning away from the popping fire and facing the cool air, I heard my teammates talk behind me as I walked away. Obviously, they hadn't noticed anything too strange. I was just about to turn a corner onto one of the streets leading into the city proper when I hear a cry of 'Wait up!' Patiently, I turned and waited so Whenta could catch up.

Smiling a little, she asked, "Mind if I walk with you? Ragnar and Nari looked like they needed to be alone for a while."

"They flirting _again_?"

Nodding, Whenta started walking into the Metru and I followed, careful to keep step with her short strides.

"Heh. Nothing more romantic than a dead city."

Whenta looked up at my sarcastic tone. "Oh, I don't know about that. It's exciting really. Think about it; no one's been here for thousands of years. You and I are the first to walk this street in _centuries_!" She gestured to the surround ruins, excitement filling her voice. "Our voices are the first these buildings have heard since everyone left." A grin crossed her face. "We're going to make great discoveries."

Leaning my head back, I looked at the spires surrounding us. Fallen tops made the towers look like black, jagged teeth and the wind almost sounded like breathing. Personally, I couldn't think of anything _good_ to discover in the city. "What exactly do you expect to find?"

My friend sighed at me. "Have you no imagination?"

Looking back down at her, I smiled. "Nope. Left it back at camp."

Rolling her eyes, Whenta couldn't help but smile a little. "Just information. Long lost secrets and all that. Not that anyone not interested in history would understand."

"I find history dry. It's all names and dates."

Turning back towards camp, my companion frowned thoughtfully. "Not really. It seems that way at first until everything suddenly comes alive."

My head snapped towards her, but she said nothing more.

XXXX

It was still cloudy the next day and we packed up camp before true light began. As we walked and the grey grew lighter, I began to see the slightest hint of color in the ruins around us. I saw blue painted on the houses and even on the streets. It reminded me of the vision last night only this was no where near as vivid.

The vision had faded in my mind, like a dream. That's probably all it was, I thought.

Our plan was to follow the shore line until we met up with the canal. Nari and Whenta were in the lead, one consulting the map, the other their texts. Directly behind them was Ragnar, looking a bit like a tourist. Together, their voices and footsteps melded into a steady murmur with an occasional burst of excitement from Whenta. I stayed at the back and I guess my mind began to wander. I started to hear things.

They were quiet at first, an extra footstep, a whisper mingling with my teammates' voices. There were words too, but too indistinct or out of context to make sense. I was just focused on walking and tuning out the strange noises. _I'm tired_, I rationalized. _Not much sleep last night is making you hear things. That's all._ We had come into sight of a large bridge leading to an offshore temple when it got bad. The voice was loud and clear, as if someone was standing beside me.

"_Back off! I'm armed, I'm ugly, and I'm dangerous!"_

I must have jumped clear off the ground. Within a second my weapon was in my hand and I was as tense as a trapped archive mole. My breathing became very quick and my hear rate must have doubled. But there was no one there, no sign of anyone other than my friends who looked rather worriedly at me.

"Are you okay?" Nari asked.

"Did you see something?" added Ragnar.

I gulped. "I . . . heard something but . . ." I relaxed my battle stance. "Just a Rahi, I guess." A frown creased my face. Why did no one else notice these things?

My teammates decided to rest (the ostensible reason for stopping anyway) and sat down to a very late lunch. I stood apart from the rest, feeling a little foolish and sour. We were beside a large stone fountain with Rahi-like statues sprouting water from their beaks. Green moss fur covered their stone bodies and spread to cracks in the ground, peeking up between bricks to poke their green frills into the air. I was sitting on the rim of the fountain inspecting the flora on one of the statues but even the tinkle of the water so close to me couldn't block out the voice.

This voice wasn't as distinct as the last voice, as if the speaker was distant. Instead, the voice echoed and yet the words were clear. _"If you are wise, if you wish to be your old selves again, you will listen."_

Again, my head snapped up and jerked from side to side searching for the source of the voice; I found none. I clenched my fist and closed my eyes, hitting the moss as I hissed through my teeth, "Shut up. Shut up!"

"We're . . . going now," came Whenta's voice from my left, concerned and a bit afraid.

I opened my eyes and felt like crying. "Yeah, I'm coming."

XXXX

The day was cut short as dark came early to the clouded sky. We stopped at the beginning of the great stone bridge, facing the large empty temple. I skipped dinner and company, telling the others I'd take first watch. I was feeling restless and nervous. As they gathered around the fire, I gathered a lightstone and set off over the bridge.

Proceeding carefully, I walked over the wet, slippery stones, but no voices accompanied me as the waves crashed beneath the bridge. I sighed, relishing the blessed silence. The voices were starting to scare me. Asking my teammates about them only resulted in worried looks and questions about my health (and my mental health once, when I asked Ragnar). It didn't sound like they were in my head, but then again, if I were crazy how could I tell?

I headed towards the ruined temple and its broken gates. At the entrance I hesitated. The building loomed over me, resembling a giant face with tears trickling down the sides. From the moment I stepped onto the threshold, I could tell this place wasn't ordinary; awe welled up inside of me as I felt the power of the temple reach into my very bones. It touched me at my very center and welcomed me in. As I stepped into the building, all sounds ceased as if by stepping into the temple's gloom I had crossed into another realm. I hardly dared breathe.

For a while, I didn't dare go further. But the place was fascinating. From the weak light from the windows and the illumination provided by the lightstone, I could see the inside fairly well. The walls were covered with scripture and carved into the tops of the pillars were faces of ancient heroes. Many of these masks had cracked or fallen to the floor below to shatter, the visage unrecognizable. Curiosity winning over caution, I headed down the stairs to go see more. My footsteps echoed around the dead chamber.

Then the voices started again.

Again it was by my side but lower as if the speaker was short. _"Follow the trail of tears. There you will find Keetongu."_ The voice sounded pleased as if they had been proven right. But I was too scared to care. I was seriously starting to doubt my own sanity. I rushed down the rest of the steps, like a scared child out of a dark room. But the silence was completely lost as my foot touched the bottom step. What had been a trickle became a tidal wave. I clapped my hands over my ears as I was barraged by voices and flashes of color.

My head began to spin as words screamed in my ears and lights attacked my eyes. "Stop, stop, STOP!" I screamed. I fell to my knees, cradling my head. I vomited, bile burning my throat and nose.

Eventually, the cacophony faded. I stayed still, desperately trying to calm myself down. Staring at the stone floor, the cold grey stone, solid and real, I rocked.

Then, two blue feet entered my sight. They were faded and blurry, like bleeding ink. My eyes traveled up the slim form of a water Toa. She looked down at me, her Kanohi Rau baring an amused smirk. Her eyes were surprisingly clear and kind and she spoke in the tone of a teacher. _"Remember, this is about honoring our duty to the Great Spirit."_ Then she laughed and walked by to me fade into the shadows.

When no more voices or visions plagued me, I shakily got to my feet and thought about what she had said. She was right; I was a Toa and needed to start acting like one. I wiped at my eyes and rinsed my mouth. I picked up my lightstone from where it had been dropped and continued deeper into the temple. Something told me that this was the center of all the occurrences and it was here I would find my answer. Striving forward, I told myself I would find what was causing this and make it stop . . . maybe . . . hopefully . . .

As I walked the voices and visions got clearer, like looking out an open window opposed to seeing it through glass. I paid attention to them now, trying to make sense of them. After a while, I noticed the pattern. The same voices, the same people appeared again and again. First the Water Toa, she came many times.

"_It says here to 'find the unfamiliar within the familiar.'"_

That's how I got looking for a pattern, only the other way around, finding what was becoming familiar in the strange.

The Water Toa appeared with five others: a Fire Toa, a Stone Toa, an Earth Toa, a staid Ice Toa, and a flippant Air Toa. I saw their story. They came as Matoran, gathered at the temple as strangers yet bound together by a duty to their city. Their quest was to gather objects called Great Disks (I made a mental note to ask Whenta about them later) and save their city. Almost at once I began to feel a connection to the Fire Toa. He had visions, things no one else could see. I was really empathizing with the guy.

But it went deeper than that. It was Vakama's story I really began to follow. I found myself cheering him on, advising him under my breath, anxiously waiting to see if he would make it. Through his transformation into a monster and back to Toa and finally to leader, I learned. As the story progressed the visions became even clearer. He was a Turaga when the last image faded. I pondered, alone in the Temple. What had happened with Vakama? I wanted to know the end of his story. Names of people and object floated around my head; Hordika, Makuta, Dume . . .

"Excuse me, but I think you might be lost."

I spun around, too startled to even get my weapon.

He stood near the Toa Suva, lightstone held high and shining like gold. I remember staring, gawking really. He was colored a regal red with bright gold armor, out of date but looking relatively new. Immediately, I felt as if I knew him, but remotely, as if he were a celebrity of some sort, out of place.

"You probably noticed, but the Temple isn't exactly the safest place to be," he continued. "The roof could collapse at any moment."

I looked for any glowing or fuzziness to show he was another vision but he looked as solid and as real as the stone around him.

Clearing my throat, I managed to get over my shock. "Well, I, uh . . . I was just kind of looking. M-may I ask what you're doing here?" I walked a little closer. "I thought the city was abandoned. You're not a fugitive or something, are you?"

The Toa looked slightly surprised. "_Me?_" He laughed. "No! No, I live here. Well, that's not quite true. I work here, how's that?"

"Work? Doing what?" I asked. A picture of a janitor came to mind, but I immediately dismissed the idea; this Toa was too . . . impressive for such menial work.

"Well, mostly, keeping people away from the Temple and out of danger. So forgive me if I seem pushy, but you really must leave." He walked closer to me and held up his light. "I don't understand why you came here in the first place—" His brow twitched. "My, what an interesting mask you have." His demeanor changed; no longer was he wary, but curious and excited.

Tired and confused, I frowned at him. "Look, I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood to play games. I'm here with three members of my team; we're on a scientific expedition, sent here to see what information we could gather. Can you tell me what you're doing here in what you said yourself, a dead city? Are there others?"

Smiling wearily, the Toa shook his head. "No, no others. At least, no one living or real."

"'Living or . . .?' Wait a minute! You mean visions?" I grinned as the Toa nodded, chest exploding with relief. "Oh, thank Mata Nui! I thought I was the only one!"

"You see them?"

I nodded eagerly "Ever since last night. At first, it was just hearing things then when I came here I started to see things too!"

"Thank Mata Nui indeed," the Toa mumbled, smiling. "I think I understand. But first, tell me, where did you get that mask?"

Self consciously, I felt my mask. "This? Oh, yeah. Unusual, right? It was passed down to me from my mentor." I smiled at the memory of my teacher. "He's a Turaga now. But he was a real hero, you know? One of the old fashioned kinds that never sacrificed his principles. He said I should wear this mask with pride and that he received it from _his_ mentor when he was ready."

The golden Toa's smile grew. "Well, the Great Spirit works in strange ways, doesn't he? I'm glad to hear the Mask has had such worthy owners. Now, I think I owe you answers. I should start with my name." He hesitated, thinking and looking down at his feet. Then he raised his head, took a deep breath and said it. "I am Toa Lhikan Mangai, former protector of Metru Nui. I am dead. I guess you could say I'm haunting this place."

My mouth opened to respond in kind when my tired mind processed what he said. Then my mouth just hung open. "D-dead? As in, a ghost? But you're real." Holding my hand out, I didn't quite dare to touch him. "Then, you _are_ vision! But you're talking to me." I sat down on a nearby boulder, knowing that if I stood any longer I would faint. Although it was childish, I could feel myself pouting. "I don't understand any of this!" Inside of me, all my frustration and confusion made it hard to breath. I felt that if I didn't get answers, or amnesia, soon I would explode. "I can't see through you or anything. You seem solid!"

Smiling kindly, Lhikan nodded. "I understand this is all very hard to comprehend, but I think I can explain at least part of it." He offered me a hand up.

I looked at his hand half skeptically, half curiously. "Can I even touch you?"

"I think so. Try."

Hesitantly, I took it. His hand was warm and firm but somehow, not quite solid. It was like grasping an ice cube that immediately started to melt at your touch; as he pulled me up I found it harder and harder to keep my grip on his hand. As soon as I was standing, he let go. "I'm going to ask you to trust me and the Great Spirit. I'll explain all I know, but it might take a while. Come, follow me."

_Trust in the Great Spirit_, I thought and I followed.

"First, how much do you know about history?" he asked, walking deeper into the Temple.

Shrugging, I followed, careful to avoid the larger chunks of rock. "Not a whole lot. Whenta is the real history geek. She's able to remember _everything_. Me, it's all a bunch of names and dates." _Or was until today_, I thought to myself.

"Do you know anything about the Kanohi Vahi?"

"The Mask of Time? Um, only the myth. It could slow or speed up time, presumably. It was made here in Metru Nui, wasn't it, by some Toa? By, oh, what's his name? Whenta told me once. It began with a Va . . .? Vama?"

"Vakama," Lhikan corrected. "He made the Mask of Time when he first became a Toa." Careful to keep his lightstone high, Lhikan climbed over a low wall of rubble into a small, dark hallway. Uneasily, I followed. "The mask slows or speeds up someone's _perception_ of time," continued Lhikan. "And if broken, leaks a very powerful energy."

"Wait, Vakama? Vakama Metru?" I stumbled in the dark, stubbing a toe against a piece of debris, but kept going. "I saw him, in my visions."

Lhikan nodded. "I would expect so. Being so closely connected with the Vahi, I expect it remembers him very well. All the Toa Metru, in fact. This place is very heavy with their memories." I heard him sigh. "They were all very good Toa. Good people. But back to the Vahi—it is a very powerful object, as I'm sure you know, and a dangerous one. No one was able to understand it completely, even Vakama. So when it broke, no one was prepared.

"When the Vahi cracks, it sends out waves of time disturbance. Vakama, I suppose, was . . . gone by this point, so no one was able to fix it. The crack grew so bad that the Matoran had to leave the city for their own protection. After all, it's not safe to live in a building that will age and crumble within a day.

"Once the city was emptied the Mask . . . I'm not quite sure what happened then. But somehow, it started to _replay_ time. Those are the visions you've seen. I'm not sure what _I'm_ doing here, though I assume that the Great Spirit has a reason. At first I thought I was here to keep people away; there have been a few travelers looking for the Mask who found their ends here. But now I think I see the real reason.

"How long have you been here?"

Lhikan's steps slowed. " . . . A very long time . . . When I was alive, Metru Nui was a peaceful, prosperous, _thriving_ city. I don't know what the world outside is like now, but back then . . ." His voice started to shake. "It . . . really hurts, sometimes, seeing Metru Nui like this." He stopped walking as an old, almost invisible door came into view. "Ah, we're here. Can you help me with this?" With some difficulty, we opened the door with a shower of dust. "Be careful. I don't think the Mask will harm you, but I can't be sure," Toa Lhikan advised. "Avoid the time warps; they look like heat waves," he advised.

I entered and looked around. Very little roof was left and vines were crawling down the side of the wall like a waterfall. Oddly, I thought the vines were moving. I walked closer and gasped as the vines grew, died, and grew again right before my eyes.

Lhikan called my attention to a stone pedestal in the middle of the area. Standing on the pedestal was the Kanohi Vahi.

It was oddly shaped; it would cover the lower half of the face and go over the user's Mask instead of replacing it. The light given off by our lightstones reflected off its gold surface in waves.

"Mata Nui. It's actually _real_," I breathed. Careful to walk around the waving air, I got close to the Mask, but not too close. If I got too close, I felt, the Mask might crumble. "Ragnar was right. He'll get a kick outta this." Leaning forward and looking hard, I could see a thin line run across one of the side parts. "I see the crack." Raising my face to Lhikan, I asked, "Why did you bring me here? You said you tried to keep people away."

Hands on hips, he looked up at the twin moons in the sky. "Because _He_ wants me to, I think. My friend Nuju told me something a long time ago, back when he worked in the Knowledge Towers."

"Nuju . . . he was the Ice Toa, right? With Vakama's team."

Smiling at me, the dead Toa nodded. "That's right. You're improving! He told me a prophecy from the stars. They said one day, I'd meet myself and that together we would return peace to the dead."

". . . Okay . . . but, I still don't see what I've got to do with this. I just came here by chance."

"Just like how you chanced upon your Mask?" Lhikan shook his head. "The Great Spirit doesn't work by chance. Trust me, it will probably make sense later, but I think we need to work together to fix the Mask. Will you help me?"

Watching a bird fly above in slow motion, I frowned. "Why are you so obsessed with my mask? It's kinda creepy."

"You haven't noticed?"

" . . . Um, I guess not, or I would know. I'm sorry, I've had a very . . . stressful day. A lot of information has been thrown at me."

Lhikan nodded his understanding. "A strange form of a golden Hau. Not a very abundant type of Mask. There's only been one that I've known of. I wore it, and the same mask adorns your face at this very moment."

I turned and looked at his face again, hard this time. "Mata Nui . . . it really is the same, isn't it?" Standing up fully, I mentally smacked myself. "I can't believe I missed that! I feel so foolish right now. So, I got this mask from _you_?"

"Vakama took it after I died. From there, he gave it to a Toa named Jaller. From there, I'm unsure, but eventually, apparently, it found its way to you." Lhikan smiled. "I've come face to face with myself."

"I guess Toa Nuju was right. But what about the second part: returning peace to the dead. What does that mean?"

"I think we have to fix the Mask. Once fixed, the Mask should stop replaying time and . . . I think I can, for lack of a better phrase, finally leave."

"You mean . . . die?

Lhikan gave a humorless smirk. "I'm already dead, remember? I meant rest in peace, to pass on."

I looked at the damaged Mask on the pedestal and shrugged after only a moment's thought. "Well, I've got nothing to lose. Besides, it's not every day you get to work with your own ancestor of sorts." I smiled and realized I would be a little sad to see him go. My head was suddenly full of questions: what was Metru Nui like back in its glory days? What was Vakama like in person? How did Lhikan die? What kind of adventures did he have?

On the other hand, I could see the obvious relief spreading over Lhikan's face. He _wouldn't_ be sad to go. "I know how to fix the Mask," he was saying. "But I'm not solid enough to do it."

"So how are we going to do this?" I asked, walking around the pedestal, seeing the Mask from all angles.

"I think I can channel my powers through you."

I was suddenly nervous. "You aren't going to posses me or anything, right?"

Lhikan shook his head. "No. I don't know how to do that anyway. All you need to do is . . . well, follow my lead." With both hands, he took hold my right wrist and held it close to the mask. "Point at the crack," he instructed. I did so and he closed his eyes.

At the last moment, I blurted out, "Hey, if you see Vakama . . . wherever it is you'll go, can you tell him . . . well, I know how he felt? About the visions and being crazy and everything. And I admire what he did."

Smiling, Lhikan nodded. "Yes. Now, I'm going to start. Thank you, for all that you're doing."

"Yeah, good luck, Lhikan."

Warmth spread through my hand then and into my veins. I almost jumped, it felt so odd, but Lhikan's hands were steady. In my fingertip, I could feel the power building and building like a pressure and I could actually see it glow. Then, it released a jet stream of fire, very thin and very hot. His control over the stream was incredible. I made a mental note to myself to learn from this experience to control my own powers like that. Carefully, my hand was guided up the crack, sealing the split as the fire passed over it. Around us, the room warped and bulged. My stomach roiled from motion sickness. I closed my eyes in an attempt to settle my stomach and hoped it would all be over soon. A pressure was building in my head. Soon, I felt the heat in my hand die away and when I opened my eyes to survey the room the stone had settled back into place.

The Mask was whole again.

And Lhikan was gone.

For a while I stood with my hand before me, looking at the Mask. Then I heard solid footsteps behind me.

"There you are!" a voice exclaimed. It sounded like Whenta. She sounded really worried and _really_ ticked.

I turned around and sure enough, my friend was there looking rather distressed.

"Where did you _go?_ We've been looking _everywhere_! Ragnar says he's going to kill you for making him wake up and wander around a creepy city in the middle of the night. You know they say that Metru Nui used to house some of the most dangerous Rahi ever known! You could have been seriously hurt!"

"I'm fine," I replied, smiling to assure her. "See? No harm done. I just went exploring."

"Well _warn_ us next time!" she scolded, but obviously she was relieved. "What were you looking for anyway? I thought the city held no interest for you. It's all historical stuff."

My smile became wider as I thought about the transaction that just took place. "Oh, I found some interest." An idea hit me. "Hey, Whenta, do you know of any Toa named Lhikan?"

"Lhikan Mangai?"

I grinned. "Yeah, that's him! You know about him?"

"Know about him? Do you _ever_ pay attention in history classes? Lhikan of Metru Nui? He's one of the greatest heroes of all time!" She began to count off on her fingers. "He fought and helped defeat the Kanohi Dragon, he was a big hero in the Dark Hunter war, he gave the Toa Metru Toa Stones so they could save the Matoran from the Makuta . . ." She frowned at me. "Wait, you know his name but not who he is? How did you find out about him?"

It took me a while to register her question. Lhikan had done all that? And I had been working with him? Not to mention my Mask—! Mata Nui, I wore the same Mask as Toa Lhikan! And speaking of Masks . . .

I picked the Kanohi Vahi carefully. It was solid and strangely warm in the chill night air. I held it out to Whenta. "Here. This should cheer Ragnar up."

Whenta's jaw dropped. "Is that—?"

I nodded.

"W-where did you find it? How do you know all this stuff all of the sudden?"

A smile crossed my face. "Let's just say a great spirit told me."

**A/N:** Okay, so before I'm attacked by a group of Bionicle purists, I realise that the Mask of Time can't really 'replay' time. I admit freely that I made it up.

Like most authors, I love reviews. Since this story has a whole bunch of OCs, I would especially appreciate any critique you can offer. Thanks!

P.S. For those of you looking for the protaganist's name . . . they have none! Surprise! This story was told from the point of a completely nameless, unknown element, genderless character. I did that on purpose. You can let your imagination fill in the gap!


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